Roleplay

The moment the construct appeared, the younger sprang to his feet, about to draw his sword when the older stopped him. The older looked upon the being with a curious glint in his eye, and a newfound respect for the elder. However, his train of thought was broken by a quiet, almost inaudible chirp.

Both the riders stopped, holding their breath until they heard it again. Their gaze instantly went to the egg that sat on the table in front of lucy, who had a very gleeful expression on her face. Another second, and the shell cracked, the egg rocking slightly as it let out another quiet chirp. "Well." The older said as the crack grew wider and a small beak poked through from inside. "This puts a kink in things."

"That it does. It would seem we're to bear witness to a new life this day. It shall be one we welcome with open arms," the elder said, watching as the anima made its way over to watch the hatching, "I do wonder, what breed shall Lucy be calling her partner? Dragon eggs are well known for their ability to keep secrets till the moment they hatch."

"All the better to make them a gift to the world. One can not have preconceived biases if they know not what to expect. Even the parents know not the fine details of an egg's contents," the anima said, backing up to give both Lucy and the hatchling room.

"Looks to me like we have all the more reason to make sure that caravan makes it through. Food, medicine, and gear will be needed to make sure these two are ready to make the journey to meet the Council," the elder said, planting his staff on the floor as he stood.

Lucy was entirely transfixed by the new life in front of her, that she didn't notice the life behind. The hatchling chirped again as the crack widened and it was able to stick more of it's nose out, it's tiny nostrils fluttering as the newborn processed the new sensations before chirping again and widening the crack further.

This process repeated until, under the older's guidance, Lucy helps the hatchling out and it came stumbling onto the table with a surprised grunt. "A pearlcatcher." The younger said as the hatchling proceeded to stumble back the way it had come and began to naw on a small piece of the eggshell it had just escaped from.

The hatchling's hide was a rare sight indeed. Instead of being leathery, as a normal dragon would be, the hatchling's hide seemed to be polished to a metallic sheen, and runes decoerated their checks, flank, and claw. After the hatchling had successfully swallowed a small chunk of the eggshell. It squeaked, scanning it's surroundings with a curious look in their eye. It's gaze fell on Lucy, and it squeaked again before akwardky stumbling towards her.

The hatchling would've fell off the table and taken a tumble to the floor had Lucy not picked him off his vantage point. Once in her arms, the hatchling squeaked, burying it's face into the tattered cloth that Lucy still wore, causing the child to let out a small giggle.

"So, the fates have bestowed them with an aptitude for magic, and a fast growing friendship. Should I live beyond this day, then I shall keep my eye on these two," the elder said, carefully moving to break the hatchling's shell into more manageable pieces.

With the shell sufficiently broken up, he turned his full attention to Lucy and the hatchling. "So, whatever shall your partner be called," he asked, "Though, I suppose that doesn't really mater at this moment. I'm betting you two would like some rest after your friend has finished producing their pearl."

Making his way in at the call of the elder, the fae went to work putting together a bed befitting Lucy and her hatchling. Having worked with many children around the village, the fae knew well what one needed for a comfortable bed.

Lucy looked like she was going to answer, but she stayed quiet after the elder mentioned rest. The hatchling, seeing he had been assisted in his efforts, whimpered slightly and squirmed in lucy's arms in an effort to reach the broken shell that was spread out on the table.

After a moment of confusion, lucy relented, helping the hatchling back onto their perch as they quickly began to consume the shattered shell piece by piece. Once he was done, the hatchling stumbled back towards lucy with a content sigh.

It wasnt until after lucy, under the instruction of the older, had followed the fae out, that any spoke. "That leaves us with one less rider to combat the extremists if things go south." The older said. "With the egg hatched, someone will have to stay and watch them.

"Yes, that does throw a spanner into the gears doesn't it. The question now is, which of us is to stay behind with them. With the extremists threatening the village's survival, we're each obligated to ensure it does survive. On the other hand, we must ensure Lucy and her partner remain safe. Without new riders to replace those who pass, the Pact itself is endangered. If we fail the village, we only give the extremists ammunition for their wayward cause," the elder said, taking a seat once more.

"If I may, wouldn't it be better if we stayed here? We know the layout of the village better that these two. Someone who knows the village would be able to use it against an attacking force after all," the anima offered, coming to rest on the table in front of the three, "I know it isn't the best plan out there, but it's an option. It also helps that most of the villagers know us, if not by name, by appearance. The villagers would likely be more willing to assist someone they know than someone they're unfamiliar with."

"Agreed." The older said, "should the gate fall, the people are more likly to aid one of their own then an outsider, even if the we riders."

"That leaves the four of us to handle the extremists until the caravan arrives." The younger said, nodding to the guardian outside. "We may be able to hold the line with fear for a time, but eventually, one of them will get brave, and the rest will follow."

"Make that five. Once he is done setting up a room for Lucy and her hatchling, Connell will join you at the gate. He's well practiced in healing and supportive spells, and will be a boon when it comes to trading blows with the extremists. Should the gate fall, you will likely be forced to retreat so it wont be like I'll be forced to fight them alone," the elder said, giving a nod, "Worst case scenario, we must hold them at the gate itself. So long as we can keep them out of the village itself till the caravan arrives with their warriors and guardsmen, we will win. I suspect that we have an unlikely ally waiting to see our cards though."

"Then we must be ready to stand our ground as soon as the spiral returns. We must be prepared then," the anima said, turning to the two riders, "As for myself, I need to stabilize my aether. I can not properly strengthen spells in this unstable state."

As if on queue, the spiral poked their head in the door, looking out of breath and covered in sand. "it is done" they said breathlessly, climbing up on the older's shoulder. "just give me a moment to-" they didnt finsih their thought before they collapsed, hanging like a scarf around the rider's shoulder.

"Make that 4 1/2" the older said solemnly. "From the looks of it, she tunneled at full speed to the caravan and back to avoid detection. That will make for a nasty surprise if things get hostile. For them, at least."

"Then we should get going." The younger said, grabbing a pair of brass arm guards from the exposed armory before slipping them on and turning to the elder. "You would happen to have armor for a guardian, would you?"

"I do, but you may need to work the joints over with some oil to get them moving properly again. I stopped maintaining the majority of the armory when it got to be too much of a physical hassle to maintain what armor I did use," the elder said, digging into a pocket to retrieve another key. Handing the key over, he pointed to a heavily reinforced trapdoor, "Down there will be a series of levers. You will need to pull the lever that has a blue handle. Doing so will bring the guardian armor out in the hanger around the back of the building. Any maintenance supplies you might need should be found in a tool chest there as well," he explained.